Josh Rizzo stories, Page 24
In early season, Fox Chapel swimmers work to put successful process in place
Fox Chapel swimming coach Matthew Mauclair wanted to embrace setting up a success process for all athletes in the program to follow. What is most important to Mauclair is what the Foxes can accomplish when no one is watching. “That’s what breeds results and champions,” Mauclair said. “If you want...
Penn Hills wrestlers build confidence with success at early season tournament
Penn Hills wrestling coach Jeremy Packer set up the team’s schedule so things would get progressively tougher. Competing at the Southwest Kickoff Classic at Valley High School was the right way to build confidence. Penn Hills had three wrestlers — Daemon Phipps (121 pounds), Julian Lavender (127) and Jacen Wright...
Penn Hills notebook: Charles Morris picks up coach of the year award
The Penn Hills football team collected plenty of accolades from the Big 56 Conference. Indians coach Charles Morris was selected as the Northeast Conference’s coach of the Year. Penn Hills had eight players selected to the first team for all-conference. Julian Dugger and Amir Key were selected to on the...
Shady Side Academy boys look to overcome injuries to key players
The Shady Side Academy boys basketball program will do a lot of on-the-job training this season. Two setbacks to the Bulldogs’ lineup have Shady Side Academy running low on big men. Senior Nate Mallory had knee surgery and will be out for the year. Junior Ben Michaels has a hip...
Pitt volleyball coach Dan Fisher enjoying the ride during latest trip to Sweet 16
Pitt women’s volleyball coach Dan Fisher has spent the past 11 years transforming the Panthers into a national power. With Pitt preparing to play in the Sweet 16 for the fourth straight year, the Panthers coach is working to appreciate every step of the journey. “I think I’ve gotten better...
With improved arsenal, bigger roster around him, Shaler wrestler excited for senior season
Michael Ulery used to enter matches hoping his opponent didn’t know his trick. The plan for the 172-pound Shaler senior wrestler was to slap on a front headlock followed by a cement mixer for a quick pin. But Ulery knew that wouldn’t be a recipe for success against more experienced...
With school record in his sights, Shaler swimmer puts in work
Waking up at 4:20 a.m. to start the day makes sense for Shaler junior Noah Lang when he arrives at swim practice. When Lang gets on the pool deck before he starts his practice, he’s in his element. Starting the day with a 5 a.m. practice features a group of...
Pitt volleyball onto Sweet 16 for 4th consecutive season after defeating USC
Stifling the attack of USC outside hitter Skylar Fields was likely never an option for the Pitt women’s volleyball team. But putting up an aggressive and consistent block helped make Fields, a first-team All-American hitter, work for opportunities to score. Fields finished with 10 attack errors for the first time...
Penn Hills wrestlers set sights on longer postseason runs
The Penn Hills wrestling program will be in a year of transition. The Indians bring back four wrestlers — Cameron Patterson (139 pounds), Julian Lavender (133), Daemon Phipps (114) and Levi Smith (127) — who saw significant time last season. All four finished with double-digit wins, but none escaped the...
With coach Jonna Burke on sidelines thanks to judge’s ruling, Shady Side Academy girls in position to contend
Jonna Burke feels fortunate to have the assistant coaching staff she does with the Shady Side Academy girls basketball program. It’s made it easier for the Bulldogs to deal with the fallout from a one-year suspension levied on the coach in July. A federal judge has granted Burke an injunction...
Fox Chapel notebook: Step up in competition doesn’t faze hockey team
Bumping up to Class 2A hasn’t been too harsh on the Fox Chapel hockey team. While the Foxes aren’t as dominant as their team that made a run to the Penguins Cup final, Fox Chapel is in a good position for another playoff run. The Foxes are off to a...
Penn Hills swimmers optimistic about season despite pool repairs
Things will be decidedly different for the Penn Hills swimming team this season. When the Indians start the season, Penn Hills will have its home meets at the Olympic Swim & Health Club instead of the school’s pool at Linton Middle School. The pool has had maintenance issues since last...
Pitt volleyball recovers from slow start, advances past Coppin State in NCAA Tournament
Rachel Fairbanks doesn’t know what changed. Or even when the momentum shifted. But Fairbanks, the junior setter for the Pitt women’s volleyball team, doesn’t want to see the Panthers start another match slowly. Pitt fell behind first-time NCAA Tournament participant Coppin State by four points in the first set before...
Fox Chapel graduate Katie Livingstone makes college conference’s all-decade team
Gail Murphy watched Katie Livingston battle through a back injury during her senior season to play for the Denison women’s soccer program. When Livingston, a Fox Chapel graduate, was named to the North Coast Athletic Conference All-Decade team, it was a fact that made Murphy proud. “Those coaches for her...
Deep, balanced lineup gives Fox Chapel confidence heading into season
There will be plenty of decisions for Michael Frank and the Fox Chapel wrestling program to make this season. Frank has a wrestling room with plenty of available bodies to help the Foxes’ program continue to show improvement. Fox Chapel has 45 boys out for the team this year from...
Penn Hills girls look to keep the ball rolling after playoff season
Robert Cash doesn’t want the Penn Hills girls basketball team to take its foot off the gas. Last season, the Indians found a way to turn around their fortunes. Penn Hills returned to the postseason after batting through a ferocious race in Section 1-5A. The Indians lost in the first...
Penn Hills boys focus on fundamentals while reloading after WPIAL championship run
Chris Giles doesn’t need to look at the returning players or incoming freshmen to know what the plan is. The veteran Penn Hills boys basketball coach is going to focus on the fundamentals. While this year’s version of the Indians will be missing key pieces from their WPIAL Class 5A...
Fort Cherry on top: Rangers, QB Matt Sieg beat South Side to win program’s 1st WPIAL title
Louis Ryan was sporting a gray 1997 WPIAL football championship cutoff shirt that had clearly seen better days. The shirt was worn down by sweat and age, but the Fort Cherry middle linebacker wore his dad’s old shirt as a reminder of what they were working toward. Ryan and the...
Led by high-scoring offense, stingy defense, South Side, Fort Cherry followed similar path to WPIAL Class A final
South Side football coach Luke Travelpiece can see the Rams’ battle for the WPIAL Class A championship against Fort Cherry going many ways. Both teams have explosive offenses. Those offenses are complimented by tremendous defenses. “Both teams average more than 40 points a game,” Travelpiece said. “I think you’re going...
Penn Hills notebook: Senior soccer standout chosen for all-star game
Penn Hills senior Landon Hankey had to tough out playing two sports during his senior season. The Indians boys soccer team’s senior goalkeeper struggled to stay on the field. However, he was able to grind it out and find a way to play as much as possible in both football...
With top 8 players back, Shaler boys feeling confident
Shaler boys basketball coach Rob Niedeberger has always prided himself on having depth in his program. This season, the Titans had more than a solid foundation to build on. Shaler will bring back the top eight players from its rotation last season. Six of those players go straight from hanging...
Motivated by 1-point playoff loss, Shaler girls aim higher
Hanna DeJidas still thinks about the Shaler girls basketball team’s loss in the first round of the WPIAL Class 5A playoffs. The Titans became one of the WPIAL’s top defensive teams last season by utilizing bungee cords in practice so the entire team knew how to move and work together....
Fox Chapel girls look to leave injuries behind, compete in tough section
The solitude of shooting basketballs with a machine in her family’s garage was a welcome environment for Fox Chapel senior guard Skylar Byrnes. Finding a way to push herself through workouts isn’t something Byrnes has struggled to find motivation to do. It’s the culture with which she is familiar. Her...
With 3 starters back from playoff team, Fox Chapel boys aiming high
Fox Chapel’s Will Siegel believes the Foxes should have lofty goals for the WPIAL Class 5A playoffs. Last season’s postseason run proved Fox Chapel is capable of accomplishing good things when it is playing good basketball. The Foxes made the PIAA playoffs as the fifth seed out of the WPIAL....
Franklin Regional girls focus on winning close games in bid to return to playoffs
Franklin Regional junior Toryn Fulton doesn’t want to see the Panthers’ girls basketball program run out of gas. All offseason, Fulton and her teammates have been looking to make sure they have the legs to keep up with the challenges that lay ahead. “We need to compete at the same...
